Newly built 1054 Building unveiled in Walmer, PE

The unique 1054 building along Main Road Walmer in Port Elizabeth was officially opened at a gala event hosted on Thursday night.

This building which was purpose built by DSL Investments and Jeremy Delport construction, is comprised of office spaces and ten retail units.

The development is part of the commercial growth of Walmer Main road, which has experienced a surge in business development due to the Metro’s Land Spatial Development Framework (LSDF).

The Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality’s LSDF is part of a planning strategy to attract investment and development in the Eastern Cape, with the aim of creating more jobs and increased revenue in the Bay area.

Cameron Harvey, of DSL investments, said that the concept behind the project was to create a landmark building in Walmer that could compete with other centres in Port Elizabeth and attract customers.

“We wanted to create a building with defining features, that would be iconic, a building that would have a unique identity” said Harvey.

The vision of the project is to showcase local entrepreneurs and local businesses. All of the current tenants are from the Eastern Cape and run home grown businesses.

The architects of the building, Neal Fisher and Dal Vanables, both directors of DMV Architecture, designed the building with the intention of creating a symbiotic relationship between the tenants. Thus, all the shops are connected by the large, light filled, open plan atrium.

“We wanted the exterior of the building to have an economical shed like quality, while the inside is completely aesthetic. We want it to be a space that people love coming to and want to spend time in” said Neal Fisher.

Harvey emphasised in his speech at the opening, that all the partners and developers on the project had a passion for and commitment to- the economic development of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan.

“Subcontractors and partners are dedicated to developing local business” he added.

At present the 1054 building accommodates two interior design stores, a restaurant, a beauty clinic, a pilates studio, an architecture firm and an engineering company.

Jo Nichols of the Hullabaloo Interior Design store said “We are very happy with this new innovative space, as it fits our design philosophy perfectly and will definitely appeal to our customers”.